NEW DELHI: At a cost of Rs 1,161 crore, India’s largest sewage treatment plant (STP) will come up at Okhla in Delhi. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on May 29, 2019, that the establishment of the plant has been given to Suez Group based out of France and the project work is likely to be completed by June 2022.
Dinesh Mohaniya, DJB vice- chairperson said that, when functional, this plant with a capacity of 56.4 million litres per day will complete the Yamuna Action Plan III, which was prepared to clean the river. “Now, untreated wastes are being dumped into the Yamuna. The treated water of the plant will be redirected to Yamuna, which will help to clean the river. DJB will also lay sewer lines to increase existing capacity, he said.
The plant will remove 41,200 kg of organic pollutants and 61,600 kg of solid load per day. According to the DJB, this will help in reducing the pollutants in the Yamuna.
This plant will cover about 40 lakh residents of Chandni Chowk, Daryaganj, NDMC areas, Nizamuddin, Okhla, Badarpur, Kalkaji, Malviya Nagar, Katwaria Sarai, Lajpat Nagar, Greater Kailash and South Delhi – from Munirka to Badarpur – among others.
In addition, the Jal Board has decided to revive an Ash Pond of Rajghat Power Plant at 42 acres of lake at a cost of Rs 36.51 crore. For this, treated water from STP will be used on Delhi Gate (15 MGD capacity). Currently, treated water is shed in the Yamuna.
Since the closure of the Rajghat Power Plant, the ash pond is not used and the work of revival is estimated to be completed in 18 months. After the ash pond has become operational, it will reduce the organic load pollutant flowing in the Yamuna by 675 kg.
DJB also approved the construction of 14 mini sewage treatment plants under the Najafgarh Drain Zone, along with laying of internal sewage system in group of colonies Somesh Vihar, Jhuljhuli and Dichaon Kalan, covering a population of around eight lakh. Mohania said that the water of these plants will be used to revitalise 56 water bodies of the area.